Apparatus for obtaining pure fiber.



'UNTE STATES aT `Esron APPARATUS son osrArNrNG PURE FIBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

Application filed J une 25,1906. Serial No. 323,339.

`To all whom it may concern:

Be it know that I, PAUL HERMANN MINCK, a subject of the King of Prussia, and a resident oi Hemelingen, near Bremen, in the Empire of Germany, have inventedra newand useful improved apparatis for obtaining pure fiber applicable for industrial purposes from cotton-seed hulls and other waste products containing fibers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The subject-mattei of the present application relates Ato apparatus for separating in a purely mechanical manner and`by means of a dry method waste-products containing fiber into their fibrous constituents and into amorphous substances, and for obtaining the several products separately and in a marketable form, no matter whether in the material to be treated the heterogeneous substances'have grown firmly together, as for example is the case withv cotton-seed hulls etc., or whether they are only intimately mixed together, as in the case of cottonf hemp and linen waste (tow) etc., or finally whether the force binding them together in mechanical union was produced by pressure, the operation of felting, etc. The looseningprocess is for this purpose siich that the fibrous constituents are obtained undamaged and not more reduced in length than is proper considering their industrial application, while on the other hand the amorphous substances are reduced to as small pieces as possible, so that the former constituents can be used in the paper and textile industries as well as for the manufacture of artificial silks, acetate and explosives, etc., whereas the latter can be employed as fodder, insulating material, stuffing material, etc. i

One embodiment of the apparatus is diagrammatically illustrated by way o example in the accompanying drawings in whichz Figure 1 is a vertical central cross-section'of the apparatus, while Figs. 2 and-3 illustrate on a larger scale details hereinafter described. i i l The apparatus according to the present invention will in the subsequent description be described on the supposition that the raw material employed is cotton-seed hulls.

Referring now to Fig. l, the numeral 6 denotes a casing of cylindrical shape. 1 denotes a charging hopper mounted on the fiat cover 9 of the casing 6 and opening through the center thereof. vS/denotes a pipe communicating with any suitable receiver not shown in the drawing, placed at adistance from the casing 6. Said. pipe 8'terminates inthe flat cover 9 of the casing 6 peripherally thereof, so as to be-adapted to receive the fibers from the interior of the casing. 7 denotes a rotating vertical shaft supported ir suitable bearings and passing centrally through the casing 6. Immediately beneath the mouthpiece of the charging hopper 1 is fixed on the shaft 7 a hollow worm o1' helix 4, which' serves at the same time as the head or nave 2 for the attachment of a set of beaters 3. Beneath the nave'Z i and issue on the lower set'5 of the beaters of the mill.

On account of the rotation of the shaft 7 the raw material is beaten bythe beaters 5, 3 and is driven against the wall of the .casing 6, which is ribbed or corrugated in any suitable manner. i

In order to enhance the action ofthebeaters, 3, 5, their outer ends are slightly bent backwards (see Fig. 3), that is in the opposite direction to that of rotation, so that the angle of vimpact is reduced and the beating -is more energetic for a` given speed. For the purpose of impeding the falling of the raw material while it is being progressively beaten, th'e'beaters 3, 5, are arranged 'a space above the same and 'are led from said space through a pipe 8 into a receiver'. 4,The space above the uppermost beater is preferably bordered by a conical surface or. plate 10 adjoining the at cover 9, for the purpose of permitting material Ywhich may be thrown up by the action of the beaters'to fall down again between the beaters after rebounding from the oblique surface or plate 10.

After the conclusion of 'the process described above for removing the fibers, the specifically heavy hullremains fall down along the surface of the casing 6 on to the bottom or plate'll arranged close under the lowermost beater, said plate being fitted in the funnelshaped outlet or hopper 12 of the casing 6 somewhat below the corner 13. 4'The corner between the casing and the funnel-shaped outlet or hopperAlZ is preferably rounded and the outer ends of the lower beaters are made to correspond with this rounding.

The outer annular portion of the plate 11 is provided with radial grooves, f'lutings or ribs 30 which are bordered by` long oblique and'short steep sides, 14 and l5 respectively. The steeper sides 15 are provided with holes or perforations 16,. which are situated protected from the beaters said sides facing substantially4 in the same direction as the direction of the mot-ion of the beaters, see Eig.. 2. The loosened amorphous substances, which'fall upon the plate ll get into the radial grooves where they are no longer acted upon bythe beaters, and they pass-through the holes 16 into the outlet-hopper i12/which is below connected with the pipe 29 at a short distance under which a plate 17 rigidly mounted on the shaft 7 rotates. The diameter of the unperforated central portion of this plate corresponds with the diameter of the pipe 29, whereas the outer annular portion `1S beyond this central portion is perforated or is formed of a sieve having a mesh of suit- 5 -21 be correspond with the beveled periphery 20 oi the outer perforated portion 18`of the plate 17, a

narrow annular gap of a ibreadth of about 5 mm. lying iet-pipe 25.

between the edge 20 of the plate 17 and the part 21 oi the casing 19 being iet free.

1in air-current is generated by the fan 22 mounted on the shaft under the centrifugal plate 17, and said err-current down through the annular perforated portion -i8 of the plate and sits the hull-remains passing through the plate from the smallest fiber-remnants still contained in them in a loose form and blows said fiberremnants out of the casing 19 into the pipe 23, which may communicate with the pipe 8 leading from the beating-mili to the receiver or collecting reservoir. The hullu'emains which are now perfectly siited pass under the action of the centrifugal plate 17 and Yunder that oi their centrifugal force which is considerable on account oi their weight, into the annular gap under the enlargement 2l oi the casing 19 and thence through an annular channel formed by the casing 19 and by a suitably supported pipe 24 surrounding the fan 22 into the lower part oi the casing 19 and thencelinto the out- Slides 31 arranged in the air-inlet pipe 26 opening into the casing 1i), and in the pipes 23 and 8 permit the air-current to be'regulated according to the nature of the raw materiel to be treated.

yThe shaft 7A is suitably driven from the shaft 27 by menus of the bevel-wheels 28. The material to be treated may be fed in continuously as, on account of the central feeding worm or helix 4 can disturb neither the removal of the iibers nor that of the amorphous substances.

The results oi practical' experiments have shown that cottonsccd hulls and other waste products containing fiber which up to the present have withstood all yattempts to loosen andl thoroughly sift them into their heterogeneous constituents by mechanical means and by using a dry method are perfectly loosened and simultaneously sited by means of the apparatus above described.

As far as the construction of the apparatus -is con' cerned alterations may be made within wide limits ac' coi-ding to. the Agiven circumstanceswithout the scope oi the invention, being exceeded.

What i claim as my invention and desire tosecure by ,Letters Patent,Iis:-

:lined ou said shaft and arranged under the vhopper and provided, with n passage passing helicaliy downwardsround the shaft,beaters attached to said nave, a second eet or beaters lined to the shaft and ari-ringed under the 'former beaters, the beaters being arranged in nhciix runsenses ning upwards round we shaft during rotation so its to adapt same to retald the material in falling through the casing, and to blow the fibers set free away from the residue of said material. y 2. Apparatus for obtaining liber from waste products containing ber,'comprising in combination u casing provided above with .u charging hopper and having 'an outlet hole in its upper part, o. vertical rotating shaft substantialiy concentric with said hopper, a plurality of beaters fixed on said shaft, a horizontal bottom plate for the aforesaid casing provided with un opening for the passage therethrough of the shaft und arranged close under the lowermost of said beaters, said plate being provided with radial iiutings at its peripheral portion of which iiutings the surfaces facing substantially the direction of rotation ure provided with perforntions i6 to allow line material to pass through suid plate, under the action of the nforcsuid beaters, which simultaneously blow the ilbers set free out of said casing through the outlet hole provided in the sume. l

3. Apparatus for obtaining ber from waste products containing fiber, comprising in combination n casing provided with a charging hopper und having an outlet opening, a rotating vertical shaft passing through said casing, a nave fixed on said shaft and arranged under the aforesaid charging hopper and provided with u passage. lendingr helicslly downwards round the shaft, beaters uttuched lo said nove, a second set of heaters fixed to the shaft bcneath rthe former beatersjthc beaters being arranged in u helix running upwards round the shaft during rotution, a fixed perforated plate close under the lowei'inost beater, a funnel-shaped casing under said plate terminating in o pipe 29, un outer casing 1i) provided above with un 'outlet opening und surrounding said pipe 2l) und ilxed above to the sumcso :is to form between itself and said pipo un annular chamber, u rotating horizontal plate immediately under said pipe 29 und extending almost up io the casing 1l), that portion of thc plate immediately under the pipe 2i) being unperi'oruted und that portion under the annular chamber' being perforated, a fun mounted ou the shuft under said plate for forcing air through sold pinto und 'blowing the fiber-remnants carried therewith through thc latter outlet opening in the outer casing.

4. Apparatus for obtaining liber from waste products containing fiber, comprising in combination u casing provided with'a charging hopper und having an outlet open ing, a rotating vertical shaft passing through suid casing, a plurality of beaters on said shaft, u iixcd perforated plate close under the iowermost beutel', a funnci-sliupctl casing under said plate termluutlng in u pipe 2f), nu, outer casing 1l) provided above with an outlet opening nud sux'- rounding said pipe 29 und fixed above to the same so ns to form between itself and said pipe nu annular chamberl a rotnting horizontal plate immediately under said pipe 29 and extending almost up to the casing 19, that portion of the plate' immediately under the pipe 2i) being unper forated and that portion under the annular chamber being perforated, also mounted on the shaft under said plate, and a fixed pipe surrounding seid fsu, said pipe having a diameter less than that of the plate whereby the air current passes through the plute and blows the liberremnants through the latter outlet gpgnlug in the outer in witness whereof I have hereunto signed my nnmc in the presence oi' two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL HERMANN Mincir.

Witnesses Vieron Hermien Rmnnnuimn,

JOHANN Knoop. 

